Buckle me up! A randomised controlled trial using a tablet-based emergency department intervention for child car safety education

Angela Yu Zhang; Julie Leviter; Janette Baird; Danielle Charles-Chauvet; Laura M Frackiewicz; Susan Duffy; Almaz Dessie

doi:10.1136/ip-2023-044998

Buckle me up! A randomised controlled trial using a tablet-based emergency department intervention for child car safety education

Inj Prev. 2024 Feb 1:ip-2023-044998. doi: 10.1136/ip-2023-044998. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Angela Yu Zhang^{1

2}, Julie Leviter^{3

4}, Janette Baird^{3

5}, Danielle Charles-Chauvet^{6

7}, Laura M Frackiewicz^{8

9}, Susan Duffy³, Almaz Dessie³

Affiliations

¹ Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA ayzhang93@gmail.com.
² Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.
³ Department of Emergency Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
⁵ Injury Prevention Center, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
⁶ Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
⁷ Department of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai, New York, USA.
⁸ Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
⁹ University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Biddeford, Maine, USA.

PMID: 38302281
DOI: 10.1136/ip-2023-044998

Abstract

Background and objectives: Correct child car restraint use significantly reduces risk of death and serious injury in motor vehicle crashes, but millions of US children ride with improper restraints. We created a tablet-based car restraint educational intervention using Computer Intervention Authoring Software (CIAS) and examined its impact on knowledge and behaviours among parents in the paediatric emergency department (PED).

Methods: This was a non-blinded, randomised controlled trial of parents of PED patients ages 0-12 years. Participants were evaluated for baseline car restraint knowledge and behaviour. The intervention group completed an interactive tablet-based module, while the control group received printed handouts on car restraint safety. After 1 week, both groups received a follow-up survey assessing changes in car restraint knowledge and behaviour. Logistic regressions determined predictors of knowledge retention and behavioural changes. Parents in the CIAS group were also surveyed on programme acceptability.

Results: 211 parents completed the study with follow-up data. There was no significant difference in baseline car restraint knowledge (74.3% correct in intervention, 61.8% in control, p=0.15), or increase in follow-up restraint knowledge. Significantly more intervention-group caregivers reported modifying their child's car restraint at follow-up (52.5% vs 31.8%,p=0.003), and 93.7% of them found CIAS helpful in learning to improve car safety.

Conclusion: Parents had overall high levels of car restraint knowledge. Using CIAS led to positive behavioural changes regarding child car restraint safety, with the vast majority reporting positive attitudes towards CIAS. This novel, interactive, tablet-based tool is a useful PED intervention for behavioural change in parents.

Trial registration number: NCT03799393.

Keywords: Behavior Change; Booster Seat; Health Education; Motor vehicle Occupant; Passenger; Randomized Trial.

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03799393